


Unlatched

by astrange_one



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Angst, Brief Descriptions of a Car Accident, Dead Bianca di Angelo, Medical Student Will Solace, Mentions of Blood, Nico di Angelo Needs a Hug, Nightmares, Sad Nico di Angelo, but it's only at the start
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrange_one/pseuds/astrange_one
Summary: It's been years since it happened, yet Nico still dreads this day every year.Will probably does too, by extension. Not that he knows why, so Nico should probably explain.Probably.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Will Solace, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 5
Kudos: 61





	Unlatched

The sky was bleak. The clouds hung low, gathering moisture until a big, fat droplet began to descend. It hit Nico in the face, and he ran before it could start pouring.  
Pat.  
Pat.  
Pat.  
There was a girl. His sister. She laughed as she chased after him. When the lights of a truck suddenly appeared, Nico knew what was going to happen before it did. It was going to run the red light and –  
There was blood. Blood in his hands. Blood on his shirt. Blood on her. So much on her. The rain poured harder, muting out his desperate cries, his unheard pleas to – “Wake up!”

Nico jolted awake, clutching on the hands that shook him.  
“Hey, man,” his roommate, Will, looked concerned. “You’re okay. It’s okay.”  
He didn’t feel okay.  
Nico’s dark brown eyes darted from the blonde to the history book in front of him. He stared outside the window. The sun was peeking over the horizon, casting the room in a golden, orange hue. He was sweating, his shaggy black hair matted to his forehead. He pushed it back.  
“You –” his voice quavered. He cleared his throat. “You’re still awake?”  
Will nodded, glancing towards his own thick medical book lying on the table. His hands were still trapped in Nico’s trembling ones, yet he made no comment.  
“Nico, we’ve been roommates for 3 years, and every year, around this time, you always get nightmares. Are you never going to tell me what happened?”  
Nico shook his head.  
Will sighed, softly. “Coffee?”  
He shook his head again. He paused, then nodded. Not for the first time, he wondered how he managed to make friends with someone like Will Solace. They were so unlike each other. Will with his pale blue eyes as warm as the sun, and his smile as bright as the heavens. He was like summer personified.  
How did they become friends?  
Nico eyed him as he came back. “Here you go. A cup of coffee. No sugar, no cream. Just the way you like it.”  
A small smile escaped him despite his disheveled state. He remembered now.  
Will was as persistent as the heat on a warm summer’s day.

  
~

  
The days leading up to the dreadful anniversary of that day were never good. Nico was in school, in the class he shared with Will, and it was pouring outside, the rain bringing with it unwanted memories. He was getting light-headed. His vision swam, the room spun.  
Then there was a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and quickly looked up. “Nico,” Will’s voice was kind. “Breathe.”  
He did. But the lightning flashed and the thunder boomed. He recoiled from the sound.  
Will stood. He grabbed Nico’s hand, grabbed their things, and left the room. They walked down the hall, turned left, another left. They entered another room, and then there was silence. Nico blinked. The room was soundproofed. Will brought him to their soundproofed music room. Nico's chest tightened with a flurry of emotions.  
They settled on the floor. It was a minute before Nico spoke, his eyes focused on everything but Will. “You should go back.”  
“I’ll stay.”  
“You’re going to miss class.”  
“That’s okay. I’ll ask for notes.”  
“Your grades – “  
“- will be fine.”  
There was a long pause. “You don’t have to stay.”  
Nico looked at him, then. Will rolled his eyes, but his smile was sincere. “I know.”

  
~

  
Nico noisily stumbled into the living room. He could still smell the metallic tang of blood in the air as he stepped out the window and onto the fire escape. He sat, legs dangling over the edge. He glanced up at the stars.  
Deep breaths.  
He didn’t notice anyone approach. Not until a blanket was draped over his shoulders and a figure sat next to him.  
Neither broke the silence. They watched as all traces of the night vanished, and the city woke from its slumber. “Do you want to talk about it?” Will always asked.  
Nico always responded the same. “No.”

  
~

  
“Do you not trust me? Is that it?”  
Nico doesn’t know how it happened. One minute they were watching a movie, the next they were fighting.  
“I trust you. Of course, I trust you,” Nico said, panicked. He didn’t want to fight with Will. Not today. Not now. Not when it was his sister’s death anniversary.  
“Then tell me what’s keeping you up at night. You’ve hardly slept at all this week. You haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. Tell me what’s wrong.”  
Nico opened his mouth to respond, but Will cut him off. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing. We both know it’s not nothing.”  
He stayed quiet. “Nico, I’m a med student, and I’m your best friend. I’m worried about you. I can’t let you keep acting like this year after year.”  
Will was met with more silence. He tried another approach. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”  
“I know,” Nico's voice was small, his shoulder’s hunched.  
“Then why?”  
Nico didn’t know what to say. When he heard the light jingle of keys, he looked up in alarm. “Where are you going?”  
“Out.” There was a disappointed look on his face. “This conversation is going nowhere. I’ll be back later.”

  
~

  
Nico was pacing in his room. He doesn’t know how long had passed since Will left, but he didn’t want to be alone anymore. Will was always by his side on the days that led to his Bianca’s death anniversary, even if he didn’t know what was going on.  
He didn’t know when he started taking it for granted, thinking Will would be okay with all his questions left unanswered.  
Nico didn’t hear the door, but when the television turned on, he knew his best friend was back. He paced some more before finally deciding to leave his room.  
Will was on the sofa. He lowered the volume, once Nico sat close, until it became background noise. Their shoulders touched. Nico drew strength from his warmth.  
Neither of them spoke for a long time.  
“I had a sister.” His voice trembled. He kept talking. “She died 4 years ago.”


End file.
